We Haven’t Been To Mars Yet Because There’s No Toilets, Says NASA Head

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recorded this view of the sun setting at the close of the mission's 956th Martian day on April 15, from the rover's location in Gale Crater. Photo: NASA

The head of NASA has said that there won’t be any landings on Mars for a while because they don’t know where astronauts will go to the bathroom.

“Our technical abilities are not what we want it to be now. We need better life support systems, we need a toilet that’s not going to break on the way there, then when we get to the Martian surface we need [a toilet] that’s going to work over and over again. Toilets are a big deal,” said Major Charles Bolden.

According to the Telegraph, Major Bolden was speaking to a group of British schoolchildren for the Sky News show "Hotseat." The major said that NASA aimed to send humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s, but that it’ll probably be on an orbital mission without landing.

“We’re not going to send humans down to the surface of Mars to build the habitats, the houses; we’re probably going to use robots,” he said.

Major Bolden also revealed that Area 51 exists but there aren’t any aliens there. Actual aliens, he believes, will eventually be found because of the amount of planets similar to ours.

“Today we know that there are literally thousands, if not millions, of other planets, many of which may be very similar to our own earth. So some of us, many of us believe that we're going to find ... evidence that there is life elsewhere in the universe,” he said.

The major also expressed frustration at conspiracy theories that said the Moon landing was fake. “I have no doubts we went to the Moon and I have no doubts that we're going to Mars in your lifetime,” he said.